Automatic control of internal combustion engines



Ot. 10, w. M. HARRISON AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed April 4, 1953 131049 11227 Wallkr M flarrison/ Patented Oct. 10, 1933 UNITED .sTArEs AUTOMATIC PATENT: OFFICE CONTROL OF INTERNAL com BUSTION ENGINES 1 Walter Mostyn Harrison, Dursley,England, as- ,signor to-R. A. Lister & Company Limited, Victoria Works, Dursley, England Application April 4, 1933, Serial No. 664,393, and in Great Britain April 2, 1932 l 3 Claims. (Cl. 290 35) in some other respect. It should be understood.

that the engine has an electric starting motor, an electric battery, va main control switch for effecting the electrical connection of the motor to the battery for starting the engine and an electric generator mechanically connected to be driven by the engine. a According to the invention, a cut-out relay is electrically connected to the generator, and arranged to operate, when the engine is, running sufficiently to drive the generator at a predetermined speed, to effect. the opening of the circuit through the startingmotor. In the case of a fuel-injection engine where the clearance volume can be reduced to increase the compression ratio with a view tofacilitating compression-ignition when starting. this reduction of clearance volume is preferably elfected by an electro-magnetic device, as described in British Specification N04 352,591, which is energized on the closure'of the mainc'ontrol switch and automatically cle energized aftera predetermined time lag. T i i In the accompanying drawing illustrating on method of carrying out the present invention:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic elevation of a fuel lnjection compression-ignition engine; and l t Figure 2 is a diagram tions therefor. I v

The drawing shows an engine with a clearance of the electricalconnecvolume in the form of two spaced cavities'10,-

11, interconnected by a narrow passage 12which can be closed by the valve 13 leaving onlythe cavity 10 in communicationwith the interior of the cylinder. 'The outer end of the valve is connected bythe toggle links 14, 14 which are hinged at 15 to a supporting bracket 16 and biased by the spring 17. to the position shown in which the passage 12- is not closed. .The common pivot of the toggle carries a roller 18 disposed above the stem 19 of an armature 20 associated with the solenoid coil 21 such that on energization of this coil the armature will-be raised, the togglelinks straightened against the spring bias, and .the passage .12 closed by the valve 13. With its clearance volume thus reduced its starting by compression-ignition becomes an easy matter.

The fuel injection is effected from the pump 22 along the pipe line 23 and is controlled inany' convenient manner, preferably as described in British specification No. 384,360, by the slidable rod 24. This has a head 25 engaged by one arm of a bell crank 26 which is biased anti-clockwise by, the spring 27 to cut the fuel supply off. i Associated with theother arm of the bell crank is .the movable element 28 of a solenoid winding 29 such that when the winding is energized the bell crank will be rocked clockwise against the spring bias, allowing the rod 24 to be operated (manually or by a governor) to control the fuel pp y.

The drawing also shows a toothedring 30 on the electric starting motor 31 the shaft of 'whichis formed with a. quick thread 32 on which is mount- ,ed a pinion 33 adapted to be flung along the shaft into engagement with the toothed ring when the starting motor is energized.

The other end of the crankshaft is mechanically connected to an electric generator 34. This latter hasa field winding 35 and a charge rate regulator 36 of known form, and it is electrically connected across the terminals of the starter battery 37 by the leads 38, 39, the usual battery cut-out 40 being connected in'this circuit as shown. I

In addition, the cut-out relay 41 has itswinding connected across the generator terminals, the relay being designed so that its normallyclosed contact member 42 will not open until the generator voltage reaches a predetermined value such as will not be reached 'until the engine is firing fairly regularly and running underits own power. Furthermore, the winding 43 around the normally closed bi-metallic contact strip 44 of a time-delay switch is also connected across the a generator terminals.

- 315 is" a thermal circuit breaker the contact member 5630f which is adapted to be heldclosed by' the thermostatic latch 47, being biased to the open position bythejspring 48. The winding 49 aroundthe thermostatic latch is. connected to the contact memberfl42 when closed'and to the positive terminal of the battery bythe lead 50. a

51 is the starter motor relay having acontact member 52 and a winding 53.

. 54 is thestarter valve relay having a contact member 55 and a winding56. 57 is the starter valve delay switch and cut-out, including a normally-closed contact member 58, a bi-metallic contact strip 59 which is spaced from the contact- 58 until sufiiciently heated by the coil 60. Upon engaging it a circuit is completed for the coil 61 winding 21.

which, when energized, attracts the contact mem ber 58 to break the circuit of the winding 56.

In operation, on closure of the main control switch 62 by manual or automatic means, a circuit is completed from the negative-terminal of lead 66. Another circuit is through the contact member 42 to the winding 49 by the lead 67, and thence by the lead 68. The fourth circuit is through the contact member 42, the contact mem ber 44 and thence by the lead .69 to the coil 53 of the starter motor relay.

Thus, the starter valve relay 54 and starter motor relay 51 are energized to close circuits for the starter valve solenoid coil 21 and the starter motor 31 which will be easily traced; the fuel cut-off coil 29 is energized to allow of the fuel pump operating; and current flows through the heating coil 49. The thermostatic latch 4'7, how'- ever, remains in latching position for quite a material time, the temperature rise necessary to operate the latch only occurring when it is quite safe to assume that the engine is without fuel or that some other defect has occurred by which it will be unable to start. If, however, for some reason the engine cannot start, when the thermostatic latch 47 has been sufficiently heated it releases the spring-pressed contact 46 allowing this to open the above-traced circuits. 7

When the engine begins 'to fire and to run under its own power the voltage of the generator 34 reaches a value at which the starter relay cut-out 41 responds, the contact member 42 opening the circuit through the heating coil- 49 and also the circuit through the winding 53 of the starter motor relay 51, thus causing the contact member 52 to open to effect the de-energization period after the engine has started to run under its own power until it is warmed up sufficiently. This is particularly useful in those cases where the ambient temperature may be very low.

Meanwhile, current has been flowing through the winding to cause the gradual heating of the thermostatic strip 59, and after a predetermined period (subsequent to the opening of' the cut-out relay contact member 42) the thermo static strip 59 will engage the contact member 58 and thus complete a circuit for the cut-out windingfGl, whereupon the contact member 58 is moved to break the circuit through the winding 56 of the starter valve relay 54, thus to break the circuit through the starter valve solenoid The circuit through the heating coil 60 is also broken, and the circuit through the cut-out winding 61 is maintained closed until the main control switch is opened.

The engine is then running normally and it may carry out any pumping or other operation for which it is designed. The generator will supply current to the battery 3'7 for charging purposes.

flexing of the thermostatic member 44 and thus break the circuit for the winding 53 of the starter motor relay 51. This circuit, however, has been previously broken by the contact member 42; but, in the event of the engine running out of fuel or some part. breaking and the engine stopping, the contact member 42 would close, and if it were not for the circuit being additionally opened by the contact member 44 an attempt would be made to restart the engine. This, however, is prevented until the thermostatic strip 44 has cooled. By that time the thermostatic latch will have lifted to release the contact 46.

On opening of the main control switch 62 the fuel cut-off coil 29 is de-energized and the engine therefore ceases to operate until such time as the main control switch is again closed.

It will be seen that the invention provides in a very simple manner for the automatic control of a fuel-injection compression-ignition engine.

' What I claim as my invention a'nd desire' to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with an internal-combustion engine, an electric starting motorltherefor,

a battery, and a switch for effecting the connection of the battery to the motor, of an electric generator connected to be driven by the engine, .a cut-out relay'connectedto the generator and arranged to operate, when the engine is running sufficiently to drive the generator at .a predetermined speed, to effect thefopening ofthecir cult through the starting motor, and a'time-lag devicefor opening the circuit through the starting motor in the event of the engine stopping after theoperation of'the'cut-ou't relay, the time lag device having an energizing winding connected to the generator.

2. The combination'with an internal-combuse tion engine, an electric starting motor therefor,

a battery, and a s'witch'for effecting the conncc tion of the battery to the motor, of anfeleotric generator connected to be driven by the en gine, a cut-outrelay connected to the generator and arranged to operate, when. the engineis running sufliciently to drive thegen'erator' at a predetermined speed, toQe fect the opening 'of the circuit through the starting motor, and a time-lag device for opening the circuit through the starting motor in the event ofth e engine stopping after the operation of the cut-out. re-, lay, the time-lag device having an energizing winding connected to'the generator, the wind-, ings of the cut-out relay andtime-lag device.

being connected inparallel and their contacts 3 in series.

3. The combination with a compression-igni tion engine having a starting valve, electro ma'gnetic means for closing'the starting valve, .an

electric starting motor for the engine, a battery, and a main control switch for effecting the. connection of the battery .to the motor and to the electro-magneticmeans, of an electricgenerator connected to be driven bythe engine; a cut-= connect the electro-magnetic means subseque'nt to the operation (when the engine starts'normally) of the cut-out relay.

WALTER, MOSTYN HARRISQNL'IY .1

:0 The heating effect of the winding 43 will cause 

